Win or Lose: Lessons from Cubs Game 7

If any day could be defined as the crappiest day and the best day all in one, it would probably be Wednesday Nov. 2nd 2016.

If you have been following me on social media, you know I'm a Chicago Cubs fan. I've been my whole life ever since my sister and I went rogue on my dad and brothers when we were little.

We grew up on the "South Side", which is White Sox country.  Let's face it... she just wanted to go against the grain and at 5 years old, I just wanted to do whatever my older sister did.

I attended my first Cubs game when I was about 8 or 9.  Just my Grandpa and I. Other than that, I've only been to one other game at Wrigley.  Having Sox fans in the family and living on the South Side made for getting up north a little tough.

Despite my family being Sox fans, I remember going to a Cubs meet and greet at a local mall with my family (Dad loved baseball no matter what).  Getting autographs and pictures with Greg Maddux. In 1998 watching a 20 year old Kerry Wood strike out 20 batters. Later that year sending a Beckett magazine with Kerry on the front to the Chicago Cubs, to have it sent back signed by Kerry. (And yes, I still have that.)  Years of listening to Harry Carey, albeit drunk, announce the games with Steve Stone on WGN.

Sure, you hear the jokes about how many times the Cubs have sucked, how many times they blew it, and how they are never going to win, especially with the curse of the goat. Every year Cubs fans hopeful, only to be disappointed.

No need to recap this season, as I'm sure you'll hear all about the amazing team and coaching they have.  But here's my story about November 2nd, 2016.

I spent 5 hours in a car, driving my son to and back from a hospital. At the children's hospital for 2 hours, complete with x-rays and cast saws. To say he was scared is an understatement.  He's a tough kid, but was very nervous about getting the pins pulled. Afraid of the impending pain.  I sat behind him, one arm around his chest, the other holding his head on my shoulder.  In the 12 seconds it took that doctor to pull those 3 pins out of his tiny arm, I had never heard my son scream so painfully loud. As a mother (or father), your heart breaks when you see your child go through pain like that.

As we got back into town, it was dark and pouring rain. He and I settled into the house, had some dinner and turned on the pre-game program. Within 20 minutes of being home,  my kitchen ceiling starts leaking from the storm... bad.

Towels, trash cans, tupperware.... and cuss words raced through my head.  This is not what I need right now.  Mentally, financially, emotionally. None of it. 

I sat down and texted my closest friends. At this point, the game is about to start and I'm bawling my eyes out. It wasn't just the leaky roof.... there were several other underlying personal issues that were already there and the leaks were literally just the breaking point.

I immediately went into "my life sucks" mode. Exhausted. Tired of constant repairs on the house. Financial and work issues that frustrate me and make me feel like I'm not good enough. Personal things that seem to just ebb and flow, but are constantly in the back of my mind also bringing up self-worth issues. Oh and hey.... let's just throw that time of the month in there too.

After crying a bit, I settled on the couch with my kids.  Popcorn and Halloween candy for them, chicken and rice for me. We cheered and laughed and soon I was distracted by a sport and a game that is dear to me for many reasons.

And in the next couple hours, I realized that despite all the shitty things that seemed to be going on, there was a lot of good.  But the most important thing was what was right in front of me.... the memories we were creating.

Some day my kids and I will talk and laugh about it:

"Hey mom, remember when we came up with all those nick names from the Cubs players?"  (Flower, Addislam, A-to-the-Rizzo (sung to tune of Jay-Z), BZ).

"Hey mom, remember when Grandpa Ross hit that homerun?"

"Hey mom, remember that song......... "Go Cubs Go.... Go Cubs Go........"

Yes bud... I remember all that.  And I remember letting you kids stay up to watch the entire game, because I knew it was history in the making.  And I remember when you both fell asleep in the 6th inning. I remember biting my nails and sitting on the edge of my seat, in the dark, hands over my mouth with every pitch. I remember wearing Cubs shirts and making red, white and blue pancakes the next morning.  Kids, we were a part of history that may just seem like a fun baseball game won, but the true history behind the Cubs, Wrigley, the players, the wins, the losses... is truly amazing.

I immediately fell into my bed after the game with some thoughts swirling in my head.  I couldn't help but think what both Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo said after the game.  Both were asked, "So what did that rain delay do for you guys?" And both said the same thing.

"It was Heyward.  He brought us together. He got us back up and re-focused."

Jason Heyward.

Who maybe wasn't the star of the team. Who maybe didn't hit a game winning hit. But knew his role as a leader.  Who told Chapman to dust it off. Who rallied the guys again because it wasn't over.

When you had it all.  You had the game in the bag. Everything seemed to be going smoothly.  And then you find yourself struggling, in a jam... and you feel like nothing is going right and how in the world are you going to bounce back. 

Sometimes you just need that one person to remind you that it's not over.  That you CAN do it.  That you are worth it.  That fighting is worth it.

The crappy day.  And the best day.  All in one. I laid in bed and realized that the crappy situations didn't make for a crappy day.... just bumps to fight through.

And that I had just created some amazing memories with my kids. Some that we will talk about for years and years to come.  And THAT is the BEST DAY EVER.